


Winwin's Awakening

by vrcticmonkeys



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Fairies, Fairy Tale Elements, Fluff and Crack, Legend of Zelda References, M/M, Mild Gore, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Build, Slow Burn, elf winwin, inspired by legend of zelda, mentions of Hylians, mentions of Hyrule
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2020-10-25 18:44:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20728991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vrcticmonkeys/pseuds/vrcticmonkeys
Summary: "The stranger- Ten - just keeps on smiling his mysterious smile, before answering, "The Kingdom of Hyrule. Your birthplace, full of people just like you, who walk like you, speak like you, look like you," at this he points at Sicheng's pointed ear, which Sicheng unsuccessfully attempts to cover in embarrassment, "and perhaps even have abilities like your own." "or, Sicheng attempts to adjust to a new life ruled by a prophecy that claims he's the chosen one, among discovering new abilities, new friendships, and new feelings for someone he really shouldn't love. Especially when he's destined to sacrifice his own life for the better of his people.





	1. chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> Previous knowledge of the Legend of Zelda series is not necessary. I'm basically taking elements from the series and creating...whatever this is. Won't follow any of the games in particular but might take elements from some. Non-beta-ed.

Sicheng was not who he thought he was, and ever since that reality had started to settle, he cursed the very beings that made him different.

When Sicheng woke up that cloudy morning, he hadn't expected to be running away from the only place he'd ever called home in favor of searching for a place he only knew by name, never to be seen again by anyone who previously knew him.

That day had started like any other, with Sicheng riding on his old, trusty bicycle to deliver the morning paper to those in town, which never took up much time. Everyone in town knew him, and everyone would always wave when they'd see proper and polite Sicheng, a little unusual in appearance but otherwise friendly, delivering every morning.

After he had gone the distance of the small town, he stopped by the only bakery in town to buy freshly-baked bread, always picking out one with strawberry toppings for himself as a treat, then rode all the way back to his uncle's house where he would prepare breakfast for himself and his uncle. His uncle wouldn't say a word to him, as always, and just nod in thank you and farewell before leaving for the mines where he worked, while Sicheng stayed home to clean.

And Sicheng would clean, of course, but he'd also tend to the small garden in the front, careful to never leave any weeds, and tend to the pigs out in the backyard, always keeping their pen clean and well-supplied, and then have all day to do nothing but sit and marvel from the hill in the backyard, gazing, wondering what life might be like out there. Then, he'd pick the growing flowers from the garden, always the ones with long stems, and fashion them into flower crowns, then leave them on the fence, while he whispered, "for the fairies," because although it seemed naive of him to believe in something as childish as fairies at his age, Sicheng could swear it made his only pointy ear quiver in excitement. The fact that the crowns were always gone as soon as he would check the next day did nothing to quell his beating heart.

It was always the same, no matter the altering weather changes, no matter the altering seasons, no matter the altering ages, and Sicheng was never one to complain of the constant routine.

He should have suspected something was amiss when his uncle still hadn't shown up to dinner by sunset like he usually did, but all he could reason was that perhaps there was more work than usual. Perhaps his uncle saw someone selling hens or chickens on the side of the road and wanted to take a look. Or perhaps one of his friends invited him out to drink and he'd followed his friends to the bar in town. Sicheng could come up with a million and one possibilities, and although his uncle had never done such a thing, Sicheng accepted the million and one excuses.

So he did nothing as he ate, leaving a bowl of soup out on the table when he headed for bed in case his uncle was hungry when he'd finally arrive.

Sicheng's dreams were anything but ordinary and routine that night. As soon as he had closed his eyes, he found himself transported somewhere he's sure only existed in his dreams. There he stands with a giant, gleaming sword in one hand, a similarly large shield in the other, a pair of bow and arrows strapped to his back. He looks down, hoping to find something that he might find familiar, only to be met by clothing completely different from his own, in shades of green and brown. But the strangest part of this particularly realistic dream is not what's in his hands or his attire, but where he's currently standing.

Sicheng swears he's seen this exact same forest before, and glances around in wonder, before taking hesitant steps in the direction of a clearing. From the clearing, he can see what looks to be a castle in the distance, before the rustling of the trees alerts him to a new presence.

"Sicheng. At last," the voice says, and Sicheng squints as his one pointed ear quivers at the sound of the voice. 

The mysterious figure comes out of the shadows to present himself, and Sicheng is momentarily taken aback by how beautiful they are. They stand firm with a straight back, robes in shades of pink and purple draping around their body, with gold symbols of some sort adoring the skin that peeps out of the robes. Their presence feels so powerful Sicheng reels from something within him wanting to almost bow in respect.

But Sicheng simply waits for the other to get closer, close enough to see that he's shorter than himself, before speaking.

"Who are you and how do you know me? What do you want?" Sicheng wills his voice to stay firm, despite his fear of talking to strangers, in particular this handsome stranger who makes unsettling eye contact.

The stranger only smiles mischievously, tilting his head as he pierces through Sicheng's very soul, perhaps thinking how best to respond to Sicheng, but the next moment he speaks, Sicheng feels his ear quiver once more.

"You can call me Ten. Who I am doesn't matter, Sicheng, time is of the essence. You need to come back to Hyrule, amongst your people, before you are discovered and something happens to you. We can offer you protection, and help when your abilities manifest."

Before he has the chance to explain himself further, Sicheng interjects. "What do you mean, abilities? What are you talking about? What's Hyrule?"

The stranger- Ten- just keeps on smiling his mysterious smile, before answering, "The Kingdom of Hyrule. Your birthplace, full of people just like you, who walk like you, speak like you, look like you," at this he points at Sicheng's ear, which Sicheng attempts to cover in embarrassment, "and perhaps even have abilities like your own. We won't know for sure until you are among us and these abilities manifest themselves."

Sicheng does nothing but stare at the stranger, trying to absorb what he has been told before he says, "that still doesn't really answer my question. What do you want from me? Why now? Is this some sort of fucked up dream? How do I know this is all real?"

The stranger's smile takes on a bit of force around the corners, before telling him," We think you could possibly be in danger. Our race is relatively peaceful, but we do have one enemy; an enemy who believes that killing us will mean our abilities manifest in them. You should have been safe from harm in your village, among humans, but it seems this enemy has found your uncle...and eventually you. If you find us now, we can offer you protection you wouldn't have anywhere else."

Sicheng crinkles his eyebrows in confusion. When had his uncle came into the equation. He said the enemy had found his uncle, but his uncle had been at work all day, he'd....

Oh. 

The stranger nodded as the idea finally registered in Sicheng's mind, before he began to fade into the background of Sicheng's dream, the forest around him turning black as Sicheng realizes he's slowly slipping into consciousness.

"Wait!" he calls out, "how am I supposed to find this kingdom, if it does exist?"

_Follow the fairies_, something seems to whisper gently into his ear, and Sicheng gasps as he turns to see if the stranger really whispered in his ear, only to find himself turning around to an empty wall.

Sicheng blinks lazily, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and then opens them to see he's in his own room, sitting up in his small twin-sized bed, covers thrown haphazardly.

He doesn't know what to do, his dream is the freshest thing on his mind right now, so, without thinking anything through, he changes urgently out of his pajamas, determined to see if he can find a stupid fairy to follow.

Just as soon as he's tying his only pair of beat-up boots securely around his ankles does he register the faint screaming coming from outside his window, and he hesitantly walks over, afraid of what could possibly be going on. 

From his window, he can hear more clearly the screams piercing through the night, like wolves on a full moon, as a distant fire rages on. Sicheng squints to see what the fire could be burning, before his heart jumps into his throat when what seems like a cloud blows fire into an area closer to Sicheng's home.

Sicheng squints harder to see that the thing he had mistaken for a cloud was not actually a cloud, but a giant, shadowy figure that blew fire from its mouth. Sicheng covers his mouth, trying to register what he's seeing in front of him as real and not a dream, before he hurries out, sure that it's only a matter of time before the figure made it's way to this side of town.

He makes it into the backyard, grabbing only the backpack he keeps around with a water canteen and a tent, before hurrying to free the pigs from the pen. If the figure did make it to his home, Sicheng would feel enormously better knowing the pigs could have the opportunity to escape. 

And so, without another thought in mind, he races to the other end of the yard, where he usually places the crude flower crowns he makes, before stopping in his tracks as he sees something _glowing_ and _floating_ take the flower crown, wizzing into the dark cluster of trees that litter the edge of the forest.

Sicheng doesn't think as he calls out, "Hey, wait!" and the figure pauses momentarily before continuing on its trick into the forest, this time at a much faster pace.

Sicheng is determined not to lose sight of it and, with a quick glance to his uncle's house in the back, the burning fire illuminating the darkened sky with light, Sicheng finally catches sight of the shadowy figure, and feels something in him vibrate in fear at the devious glint in the figures red eyes.

Sicheng doesn't think twice as eye contact is made with the shadowy figure before he races into the forest, willing his legs to move faster than his brain is trying to process what he's just seen.


	2. chapter two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoy! apologies for the short length, next chapter will be longer :)

In retrospect, Sicheng thinks he's a pretty good judge of character. Yeah, he's incredibly gullible, if his immediate reaction after having such a vivid dream, premonition, whatever it was, is to do as he was told, but Sicheng thinks it's only because that person -Ten- sounded like he knew what was going on, sounded like he had Sicheng's best interests at heart, and because Sicheng appreciated honest people more than anything, he listened.

And so, as Sicheng runs fast to catch up to the slippery figure who can't seem to understand that Sicheng's a friend, he tries his hardest not to look back, and to ignore the distant thumping he's sure belongs to big, heavy footsteps. The simple fact that the ground shakes every so often from these distant footsteps is enough to have him on edge, however, beads of sweat clinging to his temples, heart beating erratically in his chest, as he wills himself to not get tired.

He probably should have been paying more attention, and sooner rather than later, he finds himself completely surrounded by a heavy thicket of trees, with no clear indication of a path anywhere near. He stills, trying to see if the ground continues to shake, so that if it does he'll have to force his lungs to their breaking point in order to get away, but when he finds everything completely still, breathes out a sigh of relief he had been holding in.

Slumping against the nearest tree, he wills his heart rate to slow down in time with his breathing, taking in his surroundings more carefully now. There's a certain calmness that washes over him now which can only be explained by the present silence that binds the forest.

He tries to think what his next move should be next. He has no idea which direction the fairy could have gone, or even if it was a fairy he was tracking all along, and not just someone that had been escaping his village. He finds that he doesn't really care now, as a heavy fog starts to settle into the trees, engulfing him in its quiet murmurs of rustling leaves.

Sicheng thinks of the place he had long called home, of his bed that, despite staying the same small size since childhood, never ceased to provide him comfort and warmth, and he finds himself unconsciously touching the ground around him, eyes closed, envisioning the mossy grass below his fingertips as his most comfortable blanket.

Before he knows it, Sicheng's slumped down the tree, lightly snoring as he hugs his backpack tightly to his chest, the fog only serving to lull him into a deep sleep.

\----------------------------------------

When Sicheng wakes, he squeezes his eyes tightly, relishing in the comfort of his pillow and the darkness, reaching around him to pull the blankets up higher in an effort to snuggle closer into the warmth. When he does so, however, the blanket seems to be too short, exposing his bare ankles to the light breeze of his room. He opens his eyes and sits up immediately at this, confused as to why his blanket has gotten shorter in the span of a night's rest.

He's not in his own bed.

Matter of fact, he's not even in his own town, let alone his own room.

The bed he's lying in is pretty small now that he looks at it, and it's a wonder he was even able to sleep well, given for the fact his feet were just slightly hanging off the end of the bed. The quilt is unfamiliar in his hands, a homemade pattern that showed whoever had made it did it with love. The room was small, only enough room for a desk and too-small chair pushed against the opposite corner, where herbs and plants of all kinds sat atop the desk. Everything is completely unfamiliar, and as Sicheng takes in the quaint little room he's in, pleasantly cozy as strange as it is, the past night's events hit him like a ton of bricks.

Hadn't he just been leaning against a tree in the forest...?

As Sicheng tries to slowly not freak out about the fact that he has no idea how he arrived to this little room - or is it his dungeon now? Can he leave? - a jiggle of the doorknob brings him quickly out of his thoughts, afraid of who might just walk in. He pushes the quilt away from him and stands quickly as a show of brave defiance to his captor, ready to attack whoever comes in in any way.

He doesn't have to worry at all, however, because in walks someone practically a whole foot shorter than him. The stranger looks a bit younger than him, boyish features standing out, with brown hair and eyes that shine with mischief, and he comes in carrying a tray with a bowl and towel. He doesn't seem to notice Sicheng's awake until he's fully in the room, jumping back in surprise at Sicheng's looming, standing figure.

"Oh! You're finally awake! Let me go get Kun," the stranger turns to go back out the same way he came in, but Sicheng is quicker to shoot an arm out and hold him in place.

"Wait! Who are you? Where am I?" It seems like Sicheng's uttered those phrases more times in the last 24 hours than he has his whole life, and he feels his body go faint when the small stranger whips slowly around, catching a glimpse of his pointed ears through his disheveled hair.

Sicheng easily towers over the stranger, and this surely intimidates him because he quickly calls out a hesitant, "Kun!" over his shoulder, before fully turning back to Sicheng, tray shaking ever so slightly in his hands.

Sooner rather than later another person walks in, this time just a little bit closer to Sicheng's height and age, but not by much, wearing a bright and kind smile. His whole face screams warmth and comfort that Sicheng finds the grip he has on the short one's arm slipping, allowing him to escape and hide behind the older.

"Oh good, you're finally up! Don't worry, we mean no harm to you! Come into the kitchen so you can eat something," the taller one says, walking back out of the room, followed quickly by the one still carrying the tray.

Sicheng stands there for a split second more, weighing his options, of which there was only one other (to stay in the room, and frankly he was anxious about being in such an unfamiliar place), and decides to follow them out of the room, immediately into the kitchen area. This part of the home is small but cozy as well, and seems to be just enough for the two strangers. When he approaches the table settled in the middle, the younger is already sitting there, eyeing him warily as if he thinks he'll try to grab his arm again.

"C'mon, don't be shy, take a seat next to Yangyang! He'll behave, I promise," the older tells Sicheng with a warm smile, placing a bowl of what appeared to be cream soup out for Sicheng.

Not wanting to be rude, he sits down, and quickly notices his long legs can barely fit under their tiny table. He tucks them under the chair at an awkward but comfortable angle, before digging into his soup, a lot hungrier than he expected himself to be.

"My name is Kun, and this is my brother Yangyang," the older -Kun- says to Sicheng, and Sicheng blushes, who can only nod, cheeks full of food.

Kun takes this as his cue to continue and says, "Yangyang and I were out in the woods last night looking for Moonlight Mushrooms when we saw you. We thought you got lost and fainted, that's why we decided to bring you back to our home."

Yangyang nodded quickly at this, face full of innocent wonder as he looked at Sicheng with curiosity.

Sicheng decides that it couldn't hurt to tell them a bit about himself, and so decides on giving them his name.

"Sicheng...My name's Sicheng."

Kun beams at Sicheng's words, a light smile shining on his lips as he says, "Sicheng! What a lovely name. You're not from around here, are you?"

"Oh!" Sicheng shakes his head in response. "Um, how could you tell?"

"All Hylians know the forest better than the back of our hands," Yangyang piped up this time, "so it's impossible for us to get lost. Are you human? You're really tall like them..."

Sicheng was taken aback at this. "Hylians? Am I...am I in the Kingdom of Hyrule?"

"Er, yeah, something like that! We're in the outskirts of it, but I guess technically you can include us in the protection of the Kingdom. You're actually in Kakariko Village right now but, like I said, we're not far from the actual Kingdom," Kun says.

Sicheng nods, feeling an odd sort of ease wash over him at the mention of him finally being protected in this village, wondering if he should divulge in telling the siblings how he came about to where they found him.

The siblings seem reliable enough, so once their meal is quietly finished, and Kun has set to boil a pot of water for some tea, Sicheng folds his hands in front of him, staring at them as he speaks.

"You're right, I'm not from around here.

"I'm from somewhere just across the forest both of you found me in. I had a strange dream last night, where someone -now I'm assuming a Hylian as well by the name of Ten - came to me, speaking to me about some type of danger I was in. Somehow I ended up believing it all too easily and when I woke up after that I saw that all he had been talking about was true, so I decided there must have been some truth in that weird dream, and took Ten's advice to follow some fairy out here.

"I didn't expect I would start to be followed though, and had to run. I was running from something...something that sounded like it could crush my bones just from its size, and when I thought I was finally safe, I took a break. Somehow, I managed to fall asleep, and that's when you guys found me. I still don't know how it all happened, but I'm grateful it was you two and not that...that monster who found me."

Sicheng shudders toward the end, looking up to meet the eyes of either sibling, finding confusion in Yangyang's and shock in Kun's.

"Ten? Prince Ten came to you in a dream?" Kun's voice is laced with astonishment, leaving the pot of water to sit back down in his seat.

"Kun, doesn't that mean..." Yangyang starts, but stops when Sicheng whips his head toward him.

"What? What does it mean?"

Kun sighs, shaking his head, "No...after all this time...no..."

"Wait, wait. You said _Prince_ Ten, didn't you? That man I met was a prince?" Sicheng asks, suddenly processing what was asked of him.

"_Is. _Prince Ten lives at the heart of the Kingdom, in the Castle of Hyrule. Listen, Sicheng, are you sure it could have been the Prince? What did he look like?" Kun asks, focusing all of his attention on him now.

"He was around your height, and he was wearing some robes even though we were in some forest. You could see that he had these weird glowy tattoos on his arms, but I couldn't understand what they meant...But I mean, it was all just a dream, how important was it that I saw him?" Sicheng asks, confusion evident in his voice.

"In our society, Sicheng, we have many, many legends and stories of heroes past. Many come and go, and many have become an integral part of our society. There is one that has been passed down for so many years, and has been proven to come true, altering only slightly with reincarnations of our heroes. In one of our legends exists a prophecy," Kun starts, finally getting up to serve their tea.

"Long ago, Hyrule's Ultimate Power, the source of our land's peace and prosperity, was stolen from its sacred space by a wicked, terrible thief. He went by many names, but all legends conclude that he was absolutely terrifying. He was so wicked that he was convinced that if he ate our people, he would be able to absorb our powers, powers that meant absolutely nothing to him but mean everything to us. When he saw that eating us meant only receiving muted versions of our powers, he stole the Ultimate Power, escalating the powers he'd absorb to indescribable heights.

"With these powers, he brought years of darkness and despair to Hyrule. All of our harvests wouldn't grow, the livestock kept dying no matter how well we took care of them, people were starving, dying in a bitter winter that just didn't seem to end. The sun never came out, and all anyone would ever see were dark, muddy clouds whose rain was acidic to the touch. The thief even had a personal army of lawless thieves who killed our people for sport, tearing our bones to shreds, using our ears to hang us from trees even after we wept and wept for them to put us out of our misery. Hyrule looked like it would finally cease to exist until the Thief was ultimately defeated by the combined powers of the Knights of Hyrule, knights who trained their powers in order to withstand the attempts to be eaten, and knights who had the personal blessing of the King. These knights sacrificed themselves to be able to lock the thief up in a realm outside of our own, and Hyrule was able to pick up on its feet and rebuild thanks to them, after winter finally ended and spring was upon us.

"Descendants of these Knights of Hyrule exist in the event that if something as catastrophic as that Period of Darkness were to ever happen, they would be able to stop it from escalating to those levels. And...it's said that these descendants are called to action by being visited by the descendants of the King through prophetic dreams, who now hold the Ultimate Power," Kun finishes, staring at Sicheng warily.

Sicheng takes a moment to let it all sink in.

His thoughts are going a thousand miles a second, he's not sure on what point to ultimately fix on.

Sicheng turns to look at the siblings, who can do nothing more than stare back, a certain sadness tinged at the edges of their wide eyes. Their eyes are so clear, so bright, it reminds him of the brief encounter he had with the Prince. And in that moment, he knows he would certainly be willing to lay his own life on the line if it meant a certain danger could destroy the Prince's kingdom. 

How he, someone who only ever knew how to deliver newspapers and care for his uncle, would be doing so with no prior experience or training of any sort, was not really something he was too greatly concerned about. 

If their prophecies believed he was The One, so to speak, then damn would he try his best.

Ultimately making up his mind, he nods to himself before turning to speak to Kun, determination laced in his voice.

"I'd like to see Prince Ten, then. Would you be willing to take me?"


	3. chapter three

The journey to the Castle of Hyrule where Prince Ten resides is fairly close, less than a half day's journey, and so Kun promises to take Sicheng after Yangyang has had a bath, who begged his older brother to let him go with them.

While Yangyang gets himself cleaned, Kun rummages through his clothes in an effort to find something long enough to fit Sicheng's tall frame and therefore get him out of the clothes he'd been wearing since the night.

The clothes Sicheng's given are entirely too short, his ankles exposed to the light breeze that travels through the town, but he finds he doesn't really care as he manages to click the belt around the too-short tunic shut just perfectly. He looks in the lone mirror and tries not to laugh at how awkward he looks, like an overgrown child forced to wear children's clothes as if he'd gone through a sudden growth spurt overnight.

Once the two brothers are clothed as well, and Kun has packed a light lunch for the journey, do all three head out, and does Sicheng finally get a view of the rest of the town.

Kun and his brother live slightly away from the rest of the cottages in the village, which Kun explains is due to the fact that their father was a blacksmith, and therefore built their cottage farther away from everyone due to the noise his work caused.

Still, it doesn't seem to bother Kun, who looks quite pleased as Sicheng looks around in wonder at the thick forest right outside their backyard, free of any fence prohibiting them from exploring.

Kun leads him and his brother out of the comfortable little crevice that their cottage seems to be on, opting to lead them down rickety stairs that look like they haven't been replaced in years, leading to the village.

Kakariko Village was bustling with life at this hour, merchants crowded together down one street, their voices an overlaying squawk of noise as each one tried their best to advertise what they were selling, a laugh in good nature puncturing the air every now and then. Children were bustling in-between the thick crowds, carrying bubble wands or pinwheels that flickered in the glimmering sunlight, stopping ever so often to peer in curiosity at what the merchants had brought for the day. Housewives congested around fruit and bread stands, surveying each piece with some consideration before deciding on the perfect piece, making rambunctious conversation with anyone who made eye contact. The noise as they passed through the village was deafening, incredibly high-spirited, and such a stark contrast to the near-silence he'd been accustomed to his whole life, but Sicheng didn't seem to mind. His thrill of it all must have shown on his face because on more than one occasion, a child would approach him, holding up an uneaten fruit of some sort in offering, and Sicheng couldn't take it in himself to say no.

By the time they'd reached the entrance to the village, and the end of all the merchants, Kun had taken the liberty to store Sicheng's gifted fruit in his backpack, laughing in amusement at Sicheng's blushing face.

"They say children recognize heroes," Kun said, and Sicheng couldn't find anything to say, settling with biting into an apple he'd been given instead.

The walk to Hyrule's castle was quiet but comfortable, the path winding in ways that Sicheng wouldn't have expected to as he tried his best to memorize the way back, just in case. It was all brand-new to him, and he twisted and turned every which way to look at the greenery as they passed, amazed with anything.

After a while into their journey, Sicheng thought it best to bring up something he'd been thinking about.

"Kun."

Kun hummed in acknowledgement, busy cutting orange slices with a pocket knife, which he'd then feed to Yangyang.

"So...I know we're already on our way to the castle and everything because the Prince came to me in a dream but...are you sure I'm one of those descendants you were talking about? You think I'm capable...of doing what they did?"

Kun paused momentarily, but resumed his orange-slicing, a small smile creeping onto his face.

"Sicheng, didn't you see how the village children naturally came up to you? When I said children recognize heroes, it's because I truly meant it. You were a complete stranger to them, and yet they clung to you. Your soul is pure and untainted. Not only that, but you were able to see a fairy, even when it didn't want to be seen by you. I'm not sure how many times you've met a fairy, but fairies are unseen by human eyes, and only seen by Hylians if they want you to see them. The fact the fairy you chased after when you came to Kakariko's Forest means the fairy wanted you to follow it. It led you to us, didn't it? The fairy could sens you were of importance, and that's the greatest piece of evidence that points you to being a Knight of Hyrule."

Sicheng mulled over these facts, accepting it in his heart easily, but tormenting over it in is mind.

"Oh!I should also mention: you aren't the first of the descendants of the knights to appear recently." Kun added as an afterthought, munching on a slice of orange as Yangyang ran ahead, chasing over a butterfly just over a steep, green hill.

"What?"

"Yeah, it's actually a pretty funny story. You see, he's this really tall half-human like you, so he immediately stuck out when he-

"Kun!"

The agitated scream that Sicheng recognized as Yangyang's voice rang like an alarm through the otherwise silent forest, causing Kun and Sicheng to stop and run in the direction Yangyang had gone in, and realize quite immediately that they were not alone.

Holding Yangyang's arms prisoner were two burly men, dressed from head to toe in green battle armor, protective helmet hiding everything but hardened gazes. A third slapped Yangyang across the face, tears already running down his tiny face as he struggled against them. Sicheng was struck with a momentary pang of apprehension, before doing something he'd never thought to do, instinct immediately taking over.

Grabbing Kun's pocket knife out of his hand, he charged at one one of the guards, startling them enough to let go of Yangyang, who ran into Kun's waiting arms. The guard charged at Sicheng like a raging bull, while the other unsheathed his sword, as the third ran in the opposite direction, likely to get help. Sicheng kicked and stabbed the first guard in the stomach with a force strong enough to send him reeling back, while the other swung their sword, which Sicheng somehow managed to disarm from the guard with a grip of his arm and a swing of the pocket knife.

As the two guards lay on the ground, bleeding from where Sicheng had attacked with Kun's pocket knife, he could see a cluster of more guards running through the trees in their direction, causing him to motion to the brothers to run for it.

Kun hesitates, glancing over Sicheng's shoulder to see the approaching soldiers, but one quick tug from Yangyang was enough to break him and run like hell in the direction they had come from, but not before yelling over his shoulder to "trust Lucas," just only leaving Sicheng's site of line one the approaching guards were near enough.

It only took a glance around at the guards on the ground and Sicheng's ready-to-attack stance for them to narrow Sicheng as the sole perpetrator, taking him by the arms as they forced Sicheng to drop the pocket knife to the ground, not afraid of what they might to do him.

"Time to answer to the King, human."

The guards drag Sicheng through the remaining trail, just as the very top of the castle swims into view, tall, sparkling, and menacing among all the greenery. Most of the guards disperse, and only some remain to accompany Sicheng through the gardens, even more leaving once they near the entrance.

Sicheng enters the castle, two guards leading the way without ever making eye contact with him, as two more continue to hold onto his lax arms.

When they finally stop, they've walked right into what seems to be the throne room. The wall are covered in long drapes of a deep purple, casting the whole room in a soft, imminent glow that vibrates deeply in Sicheng's chest. At the very front are two giant thrones, one empty while the other is occupied by a man whose entire presence intimidates Sicheng. Sitting there is who he presumes to be the king, who wears bundles of fine robes made of what appear to be the softest velvets, a giant crown adorned with shining jewels perched on his head. To his left stands a handsome man, clipboard in his hands as he studies Sicheng walk in with a very obvious sneer. And, to the king's right, standing as still as a statue, is Prince Ten.

The Prince is breathtaking without the cloudiness of dreams and illusions surrounding him, standing as solid as Sicheng, who gets the urge to reach out and touch him, just to see if he truly is here. His hair is dark, styled and swept back to keep out of his face, with think ringlets of gold intertwined into two long bangs down the sides of his face. His hands, which Sicheng finds his eyes wandering to, are clasped together in front of him, fingers adorned with golden rings like the ones in his hair. His eyes are wide and bright, it reminds Sicheng of a kitten, the Prince's eyes conveying recognition and perhaps amazement at the fact that Sicheng is there in the flesh, but a hint of something akin to trouble surrounds his delicate features. Sicheng's not sure what it could mean, but breaks eye contact before he can figure it out.

"What's all this?" the King's powerful voice booms, turning to each of the guards before one steps forward.

"Your Highness," the guard bows, leaning on one knee as he addressed the king, "we found this _human trespasser _just outside the grounds, where he attacked two guards and critically wounded one."

Prince Ten quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, while the man to the king's left scoffs before muttering something that sounded like "incompetent fools." The king says nothing, however, merely surveying Sicheng as he stood there, his eyes traveling over his features before landing on his one pointed ear.

When he spoke, he made sure to follow Sicheng's eyes, as if to catch a lie.

"Is this true? Did you attack my guards?"

Sicheng sucked a breath in, before saying, "Yes, I did, but only because they attacked my friend first, He's a child, he didn't do anything to provoke them, so I did what I had to do."

"A child? There was a child accompanying you?" The king sat up, his interest obviously peaked now.

The man to the king's left blew up at this comment, obviously assuming something else. "A child? You brought another human with you? Where are they? You incompetent fools, why didn't you capture the other?"

The guards bowed their heads, one muttering that Sicheng was the only one around when they found him.

"He wasn't a human, actually. He was a villager from Kakariko who-" before Sicheng could finish what he was saying, the Prince made the slightest shake of his his head out of the corner of his eye, causing him to stop talking altogether.

"Hmm. I see. Jaehyun, what do you suggest we do with him?" The king turned to look at the man to his left, who adjusted his clipboard before surveying Sicheng again with a look of strong distaste.

"Kick him out. We have no use for human mutts."

Before the guards can even think to make a move, a hand moves to stop their movements, reaching out to place their hand on top of Sicheng's shoulder.

"Father, you can't just allow for him to get kicked out. He _has_ to stay!" Prince Ten's voice echoes through the throne room, catching everyone, especially Sicheng and the king's adviser, off-guard.

"Oh? What possible reason could he have to stay here, Prince?" Jaehyun sneers, challenging the Prince as the king says nothing.

Prince Ten exchanges a quick glance with Sicheng, who tries not to let his confusion show. The Prince gives him a thoughtful once-over, winking at him once with his back turned to his father and the adviser, before turning as if having decided something.

"Father, you heard it from himself. He was able to take out two of our own, without a scratch we can visibly see. Look at him, he's taller than our own guards and seems strong enough to even be on it. I'm betting he'd make excellent use to us, and I'd like for him to be trained to be Hendery's personal guard. He can train under the only other who'd be a reliable match. Lucas!"

Just then the double doors through which Sicheng had walked in opened, and quick steps alerted Sicheng to someone walking in. The steps stopped just behind Sicheng, and he had to resist the temptation to turn around and see who this person was for himself.

"Ah, Lucas. I'd like you to meet...this trespasser. He is to be personally named and trained by yourself to become Hendery's personal guard. See to it that he has somewhere to stay where you can watch over him, please. That is all."

The man - Lucas- seemed to hesitate as he answered back, "but...Prince...I am to be at your side at all times..."

"Oh," the Prince waved an impatient hand at that, "don't worry, I'll be staying within the castle until we can get this human settled. You worry about this, and if I am to need your services, I'll call for you. This requires your utmost devotion."

"Very well."

"Sire, you can't possibly allow this to happen-" the adviser, Jaehyun, faltered, sending a venomous look over the king's shoulder in the direction of the prince, who very pointedly ignored him. In response, the king stared off into space, his eyes unfocused, as if the whole conversation happening before him mattered nothing to him.

The steps now approached Sicheng, and the Prince sent a pointed look to the guards that still held Sicheng, who withered under the Prince's gaze, dropping Sicheng's arms and stepping a foot away. Lucas came up and patted Sicheng on the back, finally prompting him to turn around. Sicheng was surprised, to say the least. Lucas looked like he would fit right into Sicheng's hometown; he was tall, too tall to fit in with the rest of the Hylians, that much Sicheng could gather already. His hair was long and slightly unkempt, and unlike the other guards around, wore the complete royal guard uniform besides the protective helmet. He immediately grabs Sicheng's hand, practically dragging him away from the throne room, and further away from the Prince.

Sicheng can't help it, he ends up turning his head to glance at the scene before him, finding the Prince's eyes in a matter of seconds. His eyes are relieved, devoid of any of the trouble that'd been lurking in them when Sicheng had first gotten to the castle. It suits the Prince's features, he thinks, to have his eyes convey such unguarded emotion, and Sicheng is once again reminded of a kitten he'd very much like to pet.

He finally turns around once they're out of the throne room, and Lucas the personal guard is weaving him through complicated hallways, up through stairs he doesn't remember seeing, through even more corridors, until they're at a dead end, a barely-visible door at the very end. Lucas reaches forward and unlocks it swiftly before ushering Sicheng in.

Sicheng barely has time to glance around the darkened room before he's being forcefully backed into the wall, Lucas studying his face closely as Sicheng struggles to throw him off.

"How did you get to this castle, hm? How does the Prince trust you enough to think you'd be safer with me than out of this castle?" Lucas asks, not at all by Sicheng's struggles.

"He...he...came to me in a dream-" Sicheng wheezes, struggling to breathe as the guard squeezes once before letting him go, allowing Sicheng to collapse to the ground, swallowing a lungful of air.

"Are you...a descendant?" the guard asks, dropping his voice into just above a whisper, all venom leaving his now hushed voice.

"Kun, a villager from Kakariko mentioned something about that, yeah..." Sicheng said once he could properly breathe again, unsure about the sudden switch in personality.

"Kun? You met Kun? Well...this certainly changes things."

\-------------------------

As Sicheng, who went by Winwin now courtesy of Lucas, walked side-by-side with the aforementioned guard back to Hyrule castle after a quick trip back to Kakariko's market, he thought about how different his life had become since the day they first met.

When Sicheng had mentioned Kun's name, it had opened up Lucas in baring his soul to him, with Lucas revealing he was also one of the Knights of Hyrule, a half-human just like him. He'd been alone in the process, but had luckily encountered the Prince in the garden when he'd first come to the castle. It had only been a couple of months, but the Prince had trained him to be a personal guard of his, and Lucas had learned quick enough. Lucas further explained that it was just in time, because the King's new personal adviser had shown up just around the same time, and was quick to gain power and influence over the king and his guards.

Lucas also explained that Sicheng was the only other to be successful; one other had come to the castle after Lucas had shown up, claiming to be a descendant of the Knights, and one look from the adviser and the Prince was never to able to see him again. Lucas made sure that Sicheng was now forever stuck to his side, with the guise that he'd soon be protecting Prince Hendery, Prince Ten's brother.

"Winwin. See, because you won against the guards when you first fought them without having any prior training. And so far you've been able to beat all the guards we've trained with," Lucas grinned as he bit into his pear, looking quite pleased with the name he'd picked.

"But it seems so...predestined. What if I lose, how am I expected to live up to that type of name? And besides, why give me such a weird name; _you_ got a human-sounding name, why can't I?" Sicheng pouted, finding it hard to accept a different name.

"Winwin, we have to shed all of our former self, and this new name is the perfect start. Sicheng is dead now, you hear me? Winwin, however, has just barely begun living," Lucas grinned even wider, and he had to resist the urge to him. Lucas beat him to the thought, however, and shot out a hand to stop him from walking further.

"I'm the one with the new name, why are you hitting me?" he asked, but Lucas only shushed him as he paused, looking around, eyes darting place to place.

Winwin stopped and listened as well, before he heard the distinctive sound of metal clashing. The both shared a quick look before running down the path, and were soon met by what had caused it.

On the ground lay a couple of guards wearing the familiar green uniform, even more guards standing over them, wearing the exact same uniform but in a royal blue color. Winwin turned to look at Lucas, who could only share the same confused look, before he unsheathed his unused sword and charged at the blue-uniformed guards, Lucas quickly following suit.

The more guards they fought, the more seemed to show up and attack, before they all laid in a pile, as Lucas grabbed the only one who didn't seem to be unconscious yet.

"What's going on? Who do you work for?" Lucas shook the guard, who struggled in his clutches, trying his damnest and failing.

"It doesn't matter what I say, you can't do anything about it. The castle is ours now, you'll never see your beloved Prince again!" the guard cackled like a maniac, before exhaustion finally seemed to take over, making him fall unconscious. Lucas shook his corpse in an effort to wake him, but it was no use, the blue guard wasn't waking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback and comments are always appreciated! Let me know what you think :) hope everyone likes the name change, I hope it's not too sudden/or ruins the general experience of the story. I wanted to have his name change from Sicheng to Winwin from the beginning because I wanted to present a way in which he'd be shed of his former self.   
Also apologies for this not being too centric on the ship just yet, but wait for the next chapter!


	4. chapter four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> apologies for the length i just really wanted to get this out lmao also new tags added!!

"So, let me get this straight: you guys were ambushed and your first thought was to come here instead of, I don't know, the castle? To protect the king?" Kun shook his head as he handed Lucas a damp towel to clean his wounds, Winwin doing just that right next to him.

"Did you not listen to what I just said?" Lucas whined, eyebrows furrowed together, "that guard said the castle was 'theirs'...it was safer coming here when we'd just left rather than risk going without a plan to see if that really was true."

After Winwin and Lucas had tried and failed to rise the only blue-uniformed guard, they'd turned right back around and headed straight for Kakariko, communicating their confusion at the words of the fallen guard. They figured they needed to come up with a plan before storming the castle, and thus knocked on Kun's door, who let them in and set to help them clean up as soon as he'd seen them wounded. Now, the three of them sat around Kun's tiny kitchen table, staring at each other as they tried to come up with a feasible plan.

Winwin couldn't seem to stop thinking about what the guard had said, about never seeing the Prince again. When he'd first heard it, he'd turned right in the direction of the castle, intent on tearing down every wall with the goal of finding the Prince safe and sound, but Lucas had convinced him that they should stop and think of a solid plan, because what he had in mind was sure to get them captured before they could even step foot into the castle boundaries. Winwin had agreed, but his thoughts never stopped thinking of the Prince, and he hoped the telepathic signals he was sending would be heard by him by some miracle.

"Where's Yangyang?" Winwin asked softly, finding the kitchen much too quiet for his wandering thoughts, finally registering that there was one key person missing from the stuffy kitchen.

"School. He should be getting out soon," Kun replied absentmindedly, head settled on his raised clasped hands.

"Yangyang. I haven't seen the little devil in a while, how is he?" Lucas turned to ask Kun, fond remembrance outlined in his gentle smile.

"He's good. He's gotten so good with helping me around the house more often, it kind of seems like he's doing it to bribe me later on. He's been asking about you nonstop, wondering when you'd visit, which is probably why he whined so much about coming with me to take Si- Winwin to the castle," he chuckled, settling his hands on the table, drumming his long thin fingers on a particular rough patch of wood.

Lucas' smile turned sheepish, rubbing his neck as he says,"Ah, I apologize for not coming around to the village more often. I've gotten so paranoid with having to deal with the king's adviser around the Princes so much, it's been hard trying to find time away."

Kun waves his hand in reassurance, stressing that it's no problem, and the two continue talking, but Winwin has pretty much tuned out of the conversation at this point.

During his short time at the castle, he'd spent his days practically joined at the hip with Lucas, involuntarily of course, and was always being trained to become better, working on cleaning his own movements in a way that Lucas said had "seemed dangerous," tiring him out constantly. With how often he saw of Lucas, it was a wonder that he ever got to interact with anyone else living in the castle, which included the unfortunate displeasure of talking to the king's adviser more than once. He'd check up on the two of them often, lurking in the corners to bark at the guards they'd train with to do better, constantly insulting them, which unnerved him so much he'd resorted to purposefully slowing down whenever he'd see the handsome man.

Of course, he'd see the Princes at times too, but he was never able to say anything to Prince Ten, forgoing instead to focus on the Prince's brother, Prince Hendery, whose face would light up whenever he'd see the hardworking knights. Of course, it wasn't always his choice to ignore Prince Ten. Whenever the Prince would inch even remotely close ti him, as if he had something he wanted to speak to him about, Jaehyun would appear out of nowhere, as if from thin air, and whisk away the Prince with a sneer at Winwin.

Winwin never gave it much thought, too busy catching up the months of training Lucas had ahead of him, but now that he sat here, for the first time in days with nothing to do but think and panic, a troubling thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Lucas, are Prince Ten and Jaehyun friends? Why was he always pulling him away whenever he'd come see us?" Winwin asked aloud, pulling Lucas and Kun out of their conversation.

Lucas snorted, his eyebrows set in a thin line as he thought of the mentioned adviser.

"Definitely not. Seemed to me like the adviser was always annoyed with the Prince. He was always asking him to talk with the King whenever things weren't going his way. The Prince always used to refuse and just brush him off on the spot, but now that you mention it..."he thought aloud, sitting up straight now, "it does seem kind of strange that the Prince would follow him. He'd almost n ever answer to him whenever I was around, but now..."

As the implications of what that could possibly mean started to sink in, the jingle of the doorknob pulled them all away from their thoughts, and the front door swung open. Yangyang was laughing as he walked in, and they walked in, and they all turned to look, surprise clear on their faces as they saw who had walked in.

"-that sounds so cool! I wish I could be just like you," Yangyang pouted as he spoke to the stranger, as if he couldn't see their dirt-covered face and equally as dirty clothes, as if the giant crystallized wings sprouting out of the stranger's back were as common as the green hills surrounding the village, and weren't a giant red flag to the others.

Lucas squints at the winged stranger, before recognition shines on his face. "Xiaojun! You're alive?"

"Sir Lucas," the winged stranger Xiaojun's smile is worn and tired as he bows once, ignoring the embarrassed wave of Lucas, before he stands upright, trying his best to stand to his full height as he surveys those around the now cramped room.

His glance around is quick before he spots Winwin, and he claps his hands in excitement, wings fluttering swiftly to match his excitement.

"Oh, thank the Golden Goddesses, you _were _able to escape the wizard's ogre!"

Winwin looks visibly taken aback, pointing to himself before asking, "Are you talking about me? What ogre?"

Xiaojun stopped his clapping, wide smile never leaving his face. "The ogre, from your town! Don't you remember, I was leading you away right when he spotted us!"

Winwin could practically feel his eyes bulging out of his sockets as he drank the winged strange's words in. "You mean to tell me...you're the fairy who led me here to Kakariko's Forest?"

The fairy nodded vigorously, hands clenched together in front of him, "Yes, yes, as per Prince Ten's request!" I had to lead that horrid ogre on a chase to make sure he couldn't get near the village and destroy everything. I had to hide for a while, and finally thought it safe enough to report back to Prince Ten this morning. When I got to the castle, however, imagine my surprise when I was captured by that horrid wizard and thrown in the dungeon! I don't think they accounted for the fact I could easily escape though," he scoffed, brushing stray dirt from his arms, "but I couldn't get anyone else out. Which is why I've come."

Winwin's head reeled from the words, sitting back down in the chair he had been occupying before as Kun rushed to grab the fairy another wet cloth to clean his face.

Lucas gives his chair up to the fairy, who gladly takes it, collapsing on it as if he'd been running for hours, which, Winwin reasoned, he probably had. He looked to Lucas to see if he would say or ask anything of the fairy, since it seemed they knew each other well enough, but Lucas' face was slightly green, hand covering his chin in thought as the fairy wiped at his own delicate features carefully, accepting Kun's cup of tea with a soft murmur.

Before he could even think of what to ask first, it seemed Winwin's mouth made up his mind for him as he blurted out, "Is the Prince alive?"

Xiaojun the fairy took a quiet sip from his cup, his eyes running over Winwin's features before moving onto Lucas' own, telling them, "both of the princes are...locked up at the moment, but it seems they're fine. For now, anyways. The king, however...has been killed."

Winwin shot out of his seat, Lucas swearing loudly next to him, the both of them avoiding eye contact as they fixed the fairy with a weary stare. Xiaojun nodded his head slowly, grim smile looking like a grimace more than anything.

"I have no doubt in my mind that once the wizard figures out only Prince Ten is a direction link to attaining the Golden Power, he'll spare no lives and kill Prince Hendery, along with anyone still stuck in the castle. Which is exactly why we mustn't waste anymore time and save the princes!"

Winwin nodded his head in agreement, standing quickly as he grabbed his sword from where it was resting against the wall and hurried to secure the belt around his tunic. Before he could even step away any further, however, he felt a large hand grab his shoulder tightly, rooting him to his spot.

"I know you want to go at this moment but we have to think about this. Where are we going to hide them once we get them out of the castle? Here? In the village? They'll know before we can even properly hide them..."

Winwin faltered only for a second, before Yangyang piped up from his seat. "You could take them to the cathedral outside of town! It's sanctuary, guards cannot break into sanctuary and take anyone without eventually paying for their sins."

Winwin and Lucas looked at each other with skepticism, but Kun clapped his hands in agreement, Xiaojun nodding vigorously. "If there's any law those enchanted guards will follow, it'll be the ancient laws set even before the Golden Power was hidden."

Winwin shrugged his shoulders, finding it better to agree than try to argue about something he knew next to nothing about.

And so, as thunderous clouds started to settle in the evening sky, Xiaojun helped the two half-humans come up with a way to storm the castle during the night, deciding that Prince Hendery would be their priority in getting out, and, if there was sufficient time, they could go after Prince Ten.

"Just to make sure," Lucas said as he looked out the window, heavy rain making the already darkened sky look even darker, "you'll be waiting in the forest, right? And if one of us doesn't come out in that time frame..."

"I'll leave," Xiaojun said, voice firm and hard, "I can't risk the Prince's safety waiting around for too long. Once someone finds out he's missing, it'll only be a matter of time before they're turning over every tree. You'd have to find an alternate route, and make sure that you don't accidentally lead any guards back to us."

"That's fine," Lucas said as Winwin nodded his head in understanding, hand laying on the doorknob in waiting. 

"We'll stick to the time frame, don't worry. And if not..." Winwin gave a tight-lipped smile, "it's okay."

\---------

Once inside the castle, it was only a matter of Winwin and Lucas watching each other's backs as they roamed pressed against the walls, looking over dark corners and taking down anyone who even attempted to stop them. It was easy, too easy in fact, that it was only a matter of time before Winwin felt something was bound to go wrong.

When both of them had reached the highest peak in the castle, down a corridor with doors on either side, they decided to split up their search, Lucas starting at the entrance of one side and Winwin running down to the end of the corridor to search the other.

Before Winwin could even think to look into one of the closed rooms, however, something bright and shiny caught his eye, and he turned to the dead end of the hallway, where a silver plaque hung as the only piece of decoration around. Finding something about it quite odd and curious, he approached it carefully, bringing up a hand to trace the incisions on the plaque. As soon as his fingers touched it, something in his mind nudged and he heard a muffled voice in his head, foggy as if the person was waddling through heavy muds. 

"Winwin!"

He turned around, hand still on the plaque, but found no one, causing his mind to race with thoughts.

"Please help me...I am a prisoner in the dungeon of the castle. The wizard, Jaehyun, has done something terrible to the castle and its guards, and I can't locate my brother...I fear only I remain...Jaehyun has seized control of the castle and is now trying to open the seal to the Golden Power...I am in the dungeon of the castle. Please help me..."

It wasn't long before Lucas made a gentle noise of acknowledgement, hissing out a quieted "Winwin!" down the hall, which Winwin answered by jogging quickly over, head reeling from what had just happened.

Inside the room Lucas had found lay the quiet Prince Hendery, fast asleep over a stone table with his hands clasped on his chest, with a face so serene it'd seem he'd been asleep for the last hundred years. Lucas took hold of one of his hands, intertwining his fingers with the Prince's, before brushing a stray strand of hair away from his resting face.

Winwin, suddenly feeling like he was intruding, took a step back to step out of the room, but the noise startled Lucas, who looked like he suddenly remembered what they were doing there and quickly swooped the sleeping prince into his arms. 

They'd just reached the first floor, ready to turn in the direction they used to enter the castle, when Winwin reached out a hand, stopping Lucas in his tracks. 

Before Winwin could even say anything, Lucas shook his head no, hissing out an, "are you crazy? We don't have much time."

"I'm not asking you to help me find him...I'm letting you know I'm going to go by myself," Winwin said, glancing down at the sleeping prince before turning around, waving Lucas off as he ran the opposite way, knowing the other would rather let him leave than risk following him and endangering the sleeping Prince's life.

Winwin ran through the winding halls to what he hoped was in the direction of the dungeon much in the same way he had ran through the halls earlier with Lucas, glancing over corners, making sure the long corridors were devote of any guards before running swiftly. It was only when he reached what he assumed to be the bottom most flight of stairs that an alarm rang through the castle, causing him to panic and burst through the first door in front of him.

With a click of the door creaking shut behind him, Winwin turned into the crowded stone hallway to come face to face with a guard he had never seen before, almost twice in size and weight as him, with a bloodthirsty smile to accompany the swinging ball and silver chain in his hands. Behind the guard was a single door, one that he could bet was probably hiding the prince.

Winwin only gets a gulp of air in before the guard swings around the chain once, scraping the side of his arm as he's pushed into a corner. The guard swings once more, this time directly at his head, and Winwin manages to anticipate the move, crouching down and rolling as the silver ball cracks the wall where his head had previously been. Suddenly remembering his sword, he unsheathes it quickly, allowing the guard to swing again in threat as Winwin looks for a proper opening. 

Only managing to knick at his ear, he thrusts his sword into the chain, grabbing it ahold before pulling it towards him, causing the guard to let it drop. The guard lets it go and unsheathes two knives Winwin hadn't seen before he rushes straight at him, and Winwin decides to use the swinging chain to knock him off his feet, only managing to unarm one of his hands. The guard leaps forward again, and Winwin has no time to think before instinct hit and incited him to thrust with his sword in just the right direction, slicing through the other's chest, the guard slumping over before he can even swing the tiny dagger anywhere near him.

Wiping the mix of dripping blood and swat from clinging to his hair, he swiftly searches the guard's pockets, quickly finding a pair of keys that surely would open the only locked gate in the dungeon. Rushing forward, his hands trembled as he pushed a key in, and sighed in heavy relief as the door swung forward, allowing him to enter the room.

Inside was the lonely Prince Ten, who looked at him with such a crumpled and defeated look, face pale and splotchy, dried streaks of tears etching marks into his face. It broke Winwin's heart to see the Prince like this, so unlike the firm and confident prince that Winwin had seen that day he'd first presented himself in the castle. Overwhelmed with the sudden urge to remove the desolate look in the prince's eyes, he reaches the prince in two quick steps and crouches down so that he's eye-to-eye with him, before reaching out a hesitant hand to caress his face, aiming to remove just a bit of the markings on his soft cheeks. The prince lunges forward at the delicate movement, enveloping him in an unexpected hug, and when Winwin wraps his long arms around the prince's back, he feels more than he hears the content sigh that escapes the other's mouth.

Winwin strokes the prince's hair before he leans in just a bit closer to whisper just above the shell of his ear, "let's get you out of here, my Prince."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First i'd like to apologize for the wait it took to get this out, with the virus shutting down everything around here I've had to work from home, causing me to have virtually no time to sit and work on my own projects=no time to work on this story :( I should be getting off of work for summer break mid-June, so anticipate an update around then!!  
As always thank you if you've stuck around to read thus far, and I hope it'll be enough to keep everyone invested until our next update!<3


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